A&M's Michael thinks he can run with SEC's best

Updated 9:02 pm, Wednesday, August 22, 2012

COLLEGE STATION - One of the top single-game performances in Texas A&M history was lost in the carnage of yet another second-half collapse last season. But it wasn't lost on Kevin Sumlin, when A&M's new coach reviewed tape of running back Christine Michael's extraordinary outing against Arkansas.

"His toughness," Sumlin said, "is not an issue."

Michael, who's a muscular 5-11 and 223 pounds, rushed for 230 yards against the Razorbacks, tying for the third most in a game by an A&M back and the most since he was born. Bob Smith set the school record in 1950 with 297 yards, Darren Lewis is second with 232 (earned a month before Michael's birth in 1990), and Curtis Dickey also rushed for 230 in 1978.

While Michael was churning out the yards last season in Cowboys Stadium against Arkansas, the Aggies were in the midst of blowing an 18-point second-half lead a week after a 17-point collapse against Oklahoma State.

The 2011 Aggies became best known for blowing five large second-half leads, signaling the end of the Mike Sherman era with the program headed into the Southeastern Conference. Meanwhile, a season-ending injury, Michael's second in as many seasons, blew his chance to make an early impression on his new league home as he's been lost in the shuffle again.

Michael, a senior from Beaumont West Brook, was not listed among the three all-SEC teams (with six other running backs earning the nods) in the preseason media poll. Last year, he had rushed for 899 yards and averaged 6 yards per carry when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the ninth game against Oklahoma.

By comparison, first-team selection Marcus Lattimore of South Carolina had rushed for 818 yards and averaged 5 yards per carry through seven games before also suffering a season-ending knee injury. Michael's motivation doesn't come from his competition, however. It comes from trying to play a full season as the lone five-star recruit to sign with Sherman - and truly live up to the hype.

"My mindset right now is just getting through the season," he said. "I want to help contribute to the team as much as possible, catch everything, run hard and know my assignments."

Michael exited a little more than midway through his sophomore season with a broken leg following a promising freshman season in which he rushed for 844 yards in 12 games. Now, another promising freshman, fellow five-star Trey Williams, is providing Michael motivation - along with savvy junior Ben Malena.

"We have talent all over the field as far as running back," Michael said. "Anybody can start, and anybody can go."

Sumlin promises there will be enough balls to go around.

"Bad things happen to running backs when they get tired," Sumlin said. "They either get hurt or turn the ball over or both."

About the alleged wealth of all-conference running backs in the SEC and Arkansas' Knile Davis (the other first-team selection) proclaiming himself best of the bunch? Michael simply smiled.

"All I know is I'm going to go out there and play with passion and aggression and play as if I'm the best running back," he said. "Not just in this league, but going into the NFL."